Stovebolters, I've decided the journal would be fun by sharing my story to bring the '52 Burb back. Photos are my eldest son John as we brought the '52 Burb back to MD from VA after the majority of metal work & exterior paint was done. Enjoy! V/r, Nick
Martin '62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress) '47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project) ‘65 Chevy Biscayne 4dr 230 I-6 one owner (I’m #2) “Emily” ‘39 Dodge Businessmans Coupe “Clarence”
"I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one! Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop! USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
Stovebolters, Original owner lived above the boarder line of NJ/NY operating a cabinet/furniture business last on the road NYState registration 1967. Fellow was WWII soldier who passed away late 2010. He had no kids & estate liquidated. I , as second owner, bought it late 2011 via the NYS registration signed by original before he passed. It sat 44 years neglected. So here we are 10 years already & just about putting it all together. Pic is of shop in VA that did all the metalwork & paint. Enjoy & thanks for all the positive comments from those that continue to chim in! V/r, Nick
1970 Chevrolet C10 - Grandpa’s- My first truck.—in progress to shiny 1972 Chevrolet C20- Rusty- the puzzle box lid for the C10. 1950 Chevrolet 1300- in progress to shiny. 1962 AMC Rambler American- my wife’s
Parts trucks- 1951 GMC 9300 1951-GMC 9430 1951- Chevrolet 1300
Sir, Original color was green & this is pic of it undergoing frame off metal replacement at firewall, kick panels, rear wheel fender wells, and underneath barn doors. Yes, I'm darn lucky to have found it with all its worts to include dented passenger side roof. The old WWII soldier kept it for a reason & I'm just bringing it back to gift it to my middle kid, whom proudly serves LCpl aviation airframer USMC deployed Japan. Thanks Ken for kind words. V/r, Nick
Stovebolters, Pics are driver's rear door replacement hinges that are being test fitted after cleaned up, primed, and threads tapped. The originals were rusted, unsalvageable, and disposed. Now more history on the original owner of the 1952 Chevrolet Suburban. In fact his obituary: "George H. Winstedt, a long time Valley Cottage, volunteer fireman, WWII Veteran, Master Wood Craftsman and Music Lover passed away on October 3, 2010. Born June 7, 1918, George moved with his family to Valley Cottage from Manhatten. George is survived by two sisters, Wilma Peaslee of Nyack, and Evelyn Fasano of New City and nephew, Vance Peaslee and his wife Marie of Nyack.". Mr. Winstedt would have driven the '52 'Burb 15yrs between the age 34 & age 49. Prime years for a fellow and his years afterword until his death at 91 meant the suburban had remained in his possession for reasons unknown. Perhaps fond memories of its use both personal and earning a living. Thanks for continued positive comments. Enjoy!
I scrubed, washed, and air dryed the hood prior to placing it in my shed (It was at someone elses' place). Pics show it & the worst damage on the side. The other pic shows the new wooden floor (2 piece plywood) I installed using 42 fasteners. Enjoy ! V/r, Nick
Stovebolters, I drilled out 4 screws to remove the side electrical piece on the side of the driver's rear door.. I intend to replace it cause the sixty nine (69) year old wiring was showing its age. Besides difficult or near impossible to access the item. Good day. V/r,Nick
Stovebolters, I've worked on the rear passenger door by: 1) using fiberglass to fill bottom rust holes; 2) prepped interior side of the door; 3) used duplicolor primer/sealer.V/r, Nick
Stovebolt members, I've: 1) test fitted rear passenger door after it had been primed & a whacked out upper hinge wouldn't allow proper fitment; 2) decided to use an original upper right hinge by removing rust/apply jb weld/primer/final paint; 3) painted rear passenger door; & 4) bought new bolts for assembly of the rear doors. V/r, Nick
Stovebolt '52 'Burb Followers: 1) Switched out the passenger side rear door upper hinge & found fitment better; 2) looks like I will need to fine tune it yet by using portable body press mechanism to enable last bolt on the body side hinge to line up; 3) will next start on finishing driver side rear door. Thanks for following along! V/r, Nick
I've worked on the driver's rear inside lower barn door. For some unknown reason when I retrieved this door at restorer's shop I found he had cut the inside lower panel out. I bought a sheet metal piece & screwed it on the inside door to cover the gigantic hole. I painted it with rustoleum gloss chestnut.
Hey stovebolters, I am continuing the effort on the rear barnyard doors. I have been working on cleaning up the steel guard attachment pieces that keep the doors from opening to far. Also first paint on the drivers rear door.
Hey Stovebolters, I’ve begun restoring the rear bumper brackets, as they are pretty rusted up. I have primed one thus far & will be finishing them in black enamel. V/r, Nick
Stovebolters, I removed the rust & paint from the rear bumper. I used gray primer & now it’s ready for light gray enamel. Why? The 1952 & 1953 suburbans had light gray bumpers due to Korean War bright work shortages.
On the ‘52 ‘Burb project I: 1) finished painting & mounting the rear bumper brackets; 2) painted 2 coats light gray on the rear bumper; 3) begun working on the badly rusted rear filler panel which had 4 different paint colors. The filler panel was bought years ago off of ebay; & completely removed rust & paint from the filler panel.
After getting the rear bumper filler panel to bare metal, I primed it & final painted it. I have it placed where it needs to go & mounted the rear bumper. I will next get the underneath brackets for the filler panel cleaned & painted.
Today I partial mounted the rear filler panel with 2 of the 4 brackets. I cleaned the 2 interior brackets, primed, and painted them black. You can see from the pic how rusted they came. Next I will mount them .
I have mounted 3 of the 4 brackets attaching the rear filler panel. I had to use some aluminum spacers. Pics show one of the center brackets mounted to the frame.
Yes, good question. Spacers? Also before you go too far it doesn’t look like it’s mounted properly. Like it is sticking too far out from the body. There should not be a gap between the filler panel and rear body lower filler panel.
Phillip
1949 GMC Suburban - 10 year project 1952 Pontiac Chieftain Convertible straight 8 hydramatic 1945 GMC half ton truck - Driver 1946 Chevy COE - Might restore one day... 1959 GMC Half ton long bed NAPCO
Yeah Mark & Phil, good catch. I know it's not how it should be. Will it work and will it be bad? We shall see. I compromised due to the fact the guy who did the welding on the bottom placement of back sheet metal was off an inch. That results in not slipping the filler panel underneath.
I made out of sheet metal the little access cover to get to the locking rails on the driver side rear barnyard door. I then paint the inside of the door and it's interior sides.
Stovebolters, Today I began addressing the bracket that holds the radiator by removing rust using a grinder, a sander, & the Dremel. Pics show the bracket & the front of the '52 Burb, which has been garaged since I last made any progress 5 months ago. Enjoy. Thanks. V/r, Nick
Stovebolters, The driver side back window opening's interior molding was test fitted as can be seen in the pic. This molding was the worst & your looking at a replacement.
Stovebolters, 1) Cleaned up the emergency brake bracket; 2) Ready to mount on firewall after removal of a broken bolt; & 3)will get some new bolts from local hardware store.
'The 1952 Chevrolet Suburban's stoplight came with: 1) missing lenses; 2) that shiney thingie that holds the red lens in place; & 3) a dent on the side of the stoplight housing. You will note in pics a clear glass lens & a red plastic lens with the box it came in. A VA stovebolter sold me the glass lens($20)& the OEM red plastic lens was bought on ebay ($25). If anyone sees that shiney thingie available could you please comment? I have seen on ebay a better condition entire stoplight that was expensive ($150). You will see I have done some clean-up on the stoplight housing thus far.
Switched in the garage the 1948 Chevrolet 3100 (hunter green) with the 1952 Chevrolet Suburban 3104 (windsor blue). Why? Because I will address the engine bay, hood, & the front clip.
I'll be using the factory assembly manual to put the '52 'Burb back together. You will see the emergency brake mechanism in the second pic & that is what I first need to address when putting the driver's side front clip back together.
I'm using a 12' by 18' shed to clean up the hood. Pics show the worst rust on the passenger side of the hood near the Chevrolet badging. The front badge is missing but at least I got 2 out of 3 when I bought it.
I recently: 1) removed dirt, grease, & rust from the radiator bracket; 2) used j.b. weld to fix a spot on the bracket; & 3) applied rusty metal primer.
I have: 1) finished the radiator bracket using rattle can rustoleum automotive black gloss paint; 2) determined the stabilizer "U shaped" bar needs to be cleaned up & new bushings applied; & 3) found Carters, Independence, MO carries them but are back ordered.
I used a handheld electric mouse sander & a electric drill with a wire brush on the end to bring the stabilizer bar to bare metal. I then applied Rustoleum rattle can rusty metal primer. I began to clean surface rust off a 1957 235 inline 6 cylinder engine block.
Refurbishment of the front stabilizer involved taking apart 8 components & the most difficult is shown in the pics. There are eight separate bushings & all will be replaced. I ordered the bushings ($110) from Chevies of the Forties, Vancouver, WA.
I have: 1) Cleaned up both front supports that provide structural integrity for the fenders; 2) applied automotive rusty metal primer rustoleum; & 3) applied rustoleum automotive black gloss. Pics show the results before & after. Also, some print details of the front supports is given from the assembly manual.
I have: 1) moved the hood from the shed to the front of the garage closer to the stored tools; 2) spent a good hour carefully removing rust from the underneath brace on the front part of the hood; & 3) used a 1/2 inch wide belt line sander. The metal is been thinned & some holes are prevalent on the passenger side underneath the hood on the brace. See pics before & after.
I framed pg 11 of a 28 pg original advertising brochure of 1953 Chevrolet trucks. Your looking at a 1953 Suburban Carryall being used by TWA with a young man moving what appears to be soft luggage. Windsor Blue is the paint color depicted & that is the color which I chose to paint my 1952 Chevrolet Suburban Carryall. The front anti-sway stabilizer bar is finished & installed. Looks factory.
I used a drill spinning a wire brush, Dremel wire brush attachments, & black& decker hand held mouse with 80 grit sand paper to throughly clean up the underside support beam of the hood. It did clean up fairly adequate for wiping down with acetone & then applying Rustoleum automotive rusty metal primer. I did patch the holes with JB Weld. The worst of the hood is on the side as you see in the pic. I will address that problem in due time.
Addressed the underside of the hood by: 1) removing the rust with palm sander (60 grit paper), wire brush dremel, & 1 inch wide belt sander; 2) wiping it down with acetone; 3) applied rattle can primer; & 4) first coat of rattle can black gloss enamel. Pics show: A) taking it mostly down to bare metal rust removal; B) primer applied; & C) 1st coat of the black enamel.
Sir, Yeah, on that Windsor Blue paint color for the 1952 Chevrolet Suburban Carryall. How that choice & results came to be: 1) my wife & I looked at the original factor colors that were available back in the day; 2) we decided on that particular color; 3) I bought 2 gallons of acrylic enamel from Carters, Independence, MO & bought reducer & hardener separately; & 4) paid a gentleman to prepare the body,fenders, & 2 front doors then spray paint those items. I was left with preparing 2 rear doors, the hood & miscellaneous items. Thanks for following along on this build Possum. V/r, Nick
I have: 1) finished addressing the underside hood of the 1952 Chevrolet Suburban Carryall by using rattle can black gloss paint; 2) started addressing the right passenger side hood near where the "Chevrolet" badging is attached by: A) removing dirt & rust; B) using 60 grit sand paper on a palm sander & using 120 grit sand paper on a 3/4 inch belt sander; & C) sourcing sheet metal at Home Depot; 3) placed 1 of the spring hood hinges in vinegar to remove rust.
On the 1952 Chevrolet Suburban Carryall's hood: 1) I cut & bent a piece of sheet metal; 2) put it on the passenger side hole underneath existing metal on one side & one end; & 3) smother it with epoxy (jb weld). The passenger side front window: A) was cleaned with windex; B) shows the remnants of a 1967 New York State Registration Sticker with March as the expiration month; & C) confirms what the registration of the original owner had signed. A Maryland title was put in my name (Cavallaro) April 2011 prior to any restoration effort (time & $) getting underway.
I have: 1) secured the hood brace to the hood using a 5/32 diameter machine screw after drilling the piece of sheet metal set in epoxy; 2) begun removing rust & original green paint on the passenger side hood edge that sits on the right fender edge; & 3) used a small steel wire brush to assist in removing rust from the vinegar soaked hood spring.
I begun to address the top side of the hood by: 1) placing it on my pickup bed while siting on a rollable cart using a palm sander; 2) being outside as the wind blows the dust away from my breathing zone; & 3) spending only 1 hr on.the task to ensure the safety of myself, whether it be hand or shoulder soreness. I plan to work the hood over multiple weeks as there is quit a lot of effort needed to prepare the hood properly for primer and paint. Pic show the effort thus far. I located 2 other hood attachment pieces that I have put in vinegar for cleanup
After hardware that is used to attach the hood to the firewall soaked for 4 days in a gallon bucket of vinegar, you see in the pics that rust has dissolved. There is some final cleanup that I still have to do.
More effort put forth on removing rust & original paint on the 1952 Chevrolet Suburban Carryall's hood. I ran out of bright sunshine late this afternoon that, essentially, this hood job only can be done outside with the wind blowing away from my breathing zone. The hood is getting closer & closer to bare metal. See pics.
The metal strip that runs down the hood's center hiding the seam between each half of the hood was removed. The metal strip was missing 6 inches toward where the Chevrolet badging goes. Pics show details to include the underside & where metal tabs on the strip secure it to the hood. There is dirt. rust, & grime as evident after taking it off.
Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums
Originally Posted by NJC
After hardware that is used to attach the hood to the firewall soaked for 4 days in a gallon bucket of vinegar, you see in the pics that rust has dissolved. There is some final cleanup that I still have to do.
My hood hinges weren't quite that rusty, but I zinc plated them after cleaning them up. I think they look pretty good, pic is of the plated hood support. If you're interested in how to do that, I can share the recipe and setup.
Kevin Newest Project - 51 Chevy 3100 work truck. Photos [flickr.com] #2 - '29 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. First car '29 Ford Special Coupe Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
I did more sanding of the 1952 Chevrolet Suburban Carryall's hood. A considerable effort was done using 50 grit disc's on a hand held wiz wheel. See pics.
Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums
Nick, it looks like I've messed up your photo posting by putting a caption in mine. A software glitch keeps that caption for later pics in the same thread. To get rid of it, before you add a pic in the attachment manager, click in the white box and either enter a single space character or put in a new caption. You have to do that BEFORE you attach the pictures. But now that I've added a "how to" picture, you probably won't have to worry about it.
On your hood, you may need to either use a rust remover in the center or get it sandblasted. The pits there can't really be dealt with using a wire wheel or sanding disk. Looks good otherwise.
Kevin Newest Project - 51 Chevy 3100 work truck. Photos [flickr.com] #2 - '29 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. First car '29 Ford Special Coupe Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
I continued on the 1952 Chevrolet Suburban Carryall's hood by: 1) using a Dremel to remove hidden pockets of rust along where the 2 half pieces meet together; 2) protecting my lungs by using a 3M mask while applying the first coat of gray primer; & 3) wiping down the bare metal hood with acetone prior to applying the primer.
And I thank everyone who is following along on this project, particularly the recent commentary made by Kevin & John. V/r, Nick
A second coat of the rust preventative gray primer has been applied to the hood of the 1952 Chevrolet Suburban Carryall. Now it won't flash rust overnight which I had seen it had done somewhat, like on the edges where hood meets the fenders when closed. Pics show warts that will be addressed while doing the finishing work, like fiberglass putty or similar epoxy type material to smooth things out before applying different type primer, finishing sandpaper work, & then acrylic enamel base coat windsor blue color paint.
A quart of fiberglass jelly that you mix its hardner with was applied to areas of the hood where rust ate up the metal. I've used this stuff before & am happy with the price ($28/qt Cliffs Auto Supply, Rt 1. Darlington, MD) & how you go about using it.
With regards to the 1952 Chevrolet Suburban's hood: 1) the hardened fiberglass jelly was sanded with a palm sander; 2) the fiberglass did a good job filling in spots where rust had eaten the metal; & 3) a applied more rust protective gray primer.
The '52 'Burbs hood has been painted by: 1) using acrylic enamel windsor blue paint (Carters, Independence, MO) with reducer & hardner (Tractor Supply, Aberdeen. MD) mixed in; 2) keeping garage doors down (lots of rain & wind outside) using high intensity lights above; 3) using spray gun with the pressure hose hooked up to a large electric compressor (Lowes, Abingdon, MD); & 4) wearing a respirator (Home Depot, Bel Air, MD). I was glad to finally get some color on that hood because it is an awkward component of the project.
Several of key heavy duty steering pieces I was able to address by: 1) using a empty 5 gallon bucket holding the pitman arm & then the less heavier item in it. I removed the heavy packed soil & grease; 2) using a spray can of engine degreaser in the bucket did further clean up followed by wiping down with acetone; & 3) painted using rattle can black. More to follow with the butt of the steering mechanism which holds the bearings & what not. See pics.
Made a tad little bit of room to work between the already restored Hunter Green 1948 Chevrolet 3100 pick-up & the '52 'burb project by placing the '52 Chevrolet Suburban Carryall's windsor blue hood sideways in the '48 pickup bed. On the steering column at the base I first: 1) removed the shift linkage mechanism with the rods for the 3 on the tree; 2) I then began removing the caked on soil, grease & clay using putty knife, small wire brush, and lots of rags. It helped using brake cleaner rather than goof off. See pics. I have a bit more of that greasy job but there is always another day for pleasurable restoration work on our stovebolts. See pics.
Continued clean-up on the steering column in which I did notice: 1) if you have the column a tad down hill from its butt end you can observe a 🌽 hole grease (heavier grease) spot on your garage floor 24 hrs later. Don't ask me how I know; 2) the column's original color I want to keep, although where the floor board meets the column there is some rust. See pic. I'll figure to match that spot only. Why? There is value in keeping an original column color & steering wheel cause I'm not doing a modern parts restoration; & 3) it's a cast iron base & I will continue the clean-up (see pic); & 4) evidence of thin bands of electrical tape near the top of column more than likely held one of those circular clear registration packet holders. Neat! You can buy those today & use them like they did back in the day.
I have finished cleaning the caked on grease & dirt that was on the steering mechanism at the bottom of the column. I have mounted the column with the 4 bolts, lock washers, and nuts. I need to attach the column to the bottom of the driver's dash & also at the firewall using a flange made of metal/rubber.
I'll clean up the separate pole that travels next to the volume that works the drift mechanism.
I have removed caked on grease, dirt, and rust from the 3 on the tree gearing mechanism that mounts on the steering column. I cleaned it using spray degreaser, brake cleaner, and a small bronze brush. Plenty of rags and yeah, elbow grease.
There is a small rubber grommet that I may source a replacement cause it does look kinda worn.
I bought the steering column rubber/metal floor cover w/seal '48-'55 3spd pair from Carters (Independence, MO) ($22.74 including shipping).
I installed it at the base of the firewall using fasteners bought at my hardware store.
I mounted the 2 piece caste iron clasp with the original hard rubber pieces using an original fastener and a replacement bought from my same hardware store.
Everything is not completely wrenched down tight yet cause I need to mount the shift mechanism.
I made a tool storage cover from a sheet of 1/2 inch thick OSB & 1/2 by 1/2 inch wood stock. The compartment is under the driver's seat and had no cover. It had remnants of some old emergency flares in there when I got the Carryall
I painted the cover using some olive tinted, outside, water-based enamel from Home Depot's bargain shelf ($2 for the quart).
I retrieved the upper part of the 3 on the tree & clutch & brake pedals from my parts stash that I have in my unfinished basement.
Next up cleaning, removing rust, and making those items look presentable.
I put the clutch & brake pedals in a gallon of vinegar to assist in removing rust.
I placed the hood outside on Styrofoam blocks, leaning up against a huge trash can.. I used some fine grit sandpaper to make it more smooth and then used an electric leaf blower to remove what I had sanded off the hood.
The temperature outside was above 60 degrees with humidity between 37% but not above 70%. The wind was only 5mph coming out of the north. So, all was perfect so I shot the hood with another coat of windsor blue acrylic enamel containing some hardener & reducer.
I started cleaning up the metal pieces of the front motor mount.
I primered & then painted black the emergency brake bracket.
I have another emergency brake curved arm piece taken out of the vinegar to clean up further before priming and painting black.
I started removing rust and grease from the long steel rod with u shaped ends that mounts underneath the steel part of the floor of the carryall to work the emergency brake.
Cleaned off nearly all the grease, rust, dirt, and leftover rubber from the 2 piece front motor mount. Further cleaning is needed using a Dremel wire brushes, then primer and black paint.
See pics.
I thank recent comments provided from Martin & John.
I spent considerable time with the emergency brake bracket again to re-thread one of the three (welded in nuts, if you will, that is part of the bracket) holes that hold the fastener bolts, that help attach the driver's side inner fender to the front firewall
Painted it again black cause of marking it up with holding it with vice grips or clamps or an inexpensive vice that really is rather useless.
Primed and painted the c shaped emergency brake thick rod piece.
Never use acetone on non metallic objects Acetone is a solvent for ALL organic molecules It is used for rinsing out all equipment before sensitive organic experiments for a reason Acetone is the reason your old timey screwdriver handles slowly keep getting gummy and melting and sticky Acetone is the only molecule that starts to permanently unravel the cross linking in many plastics It’s the best way to screw up a material if you don’t know anything about it and only have one shot and messing up I hope it didn’t mess up your job But that’s super risky Acetone is a no no on plastics It comes in a metal can for a reason That one and “gun wash” are super bad for plastics Isopropyl Alcohol would have been a much more appropriate solvent in this case Able to lift all oils and dry the surface while not damaging the plastic
If you haven’t proceeded yet to the next step I strongly suggest you hard bake the surfaces that have been exposed to acetone to drive it all out
And wait a week to see if they survived The acetone residue will also not be compatible With any new paint you plan to use anyway -s
Sir, Got it! I will take your comment to never use acetone on non-metalic surfaces as factual. And I will proceed to bake out the residual using a hand propane. Thanks 2manytrucks.
I found the aluminum front motor mount cover with my parts stash & cleaned it up using solvent followed by the Dremel wire brush & 1/2 inch wide by 18 inch belt sander (see pics).
Sanded & painted the circular long hardware item that holds the two shift rods together, running beside the steering column that allow the three on the tree to operate/function (see pics).
Finally found the '52 'Burb's lock guide & spring for the emergency brake pedal mechanism. I took it apart summer 2012 (11 years ago). I cleaned those items up. (see pics)
Cleaned up the bolts, washers & nuts for the front motor mount (see pics).
I went & fetched a 6,000 lb Heavy Duty Industrial Hoist from a mentor fellow (Mr. Charlie). I will be placing a '56 235 Stovebolt engine into the '52 Burb next month.
I now have completely assembled the '52 'Burb Carryall's emergency brake apparatus with the exception of buying the rubber boot/steel item(s) that mount on the floor, and a new rubber pedal face.
I am ready to move on to more exciting accomplishments, like placing a powerplant in it's cradle.
By the way, getting that emergency brake apparatus cleaned, painted, and assembled is pretty involved. There are like 15 different pieces to the assembly & that is not including cleaning up or purchasing fasteners. And that is only counting from the long rod forward and not cables or components inside the rear wheels where the shoes are located.
I received the complete steel/rubber rear motor mounts & the insert steel/rubber front motor mount from Carters (Independence, M0).
Cleaned up six sets of bolts, washers & nuts to attach motor mounts to the frame, cross member & the engine (see pic of the nastiness of two (2) of the shorter bolts before clean-up).
I mounted the engine mounts front & rear (see pics).
Underneath the '52 'Burb's Carryall floor at the driver seat position is a compartment without a closed end toward the passenger side. Why there wasn't on mine I don't know. As such using fiberglass cloth, fiberglass jelly, & fiberglass hardner, I am closing that end up. You will see in the pics what I mean regarding an open end of that storage tool compartment. I will come back & use more fiberglass in due time because the fiberglass really wants to fall down since your working it up side down.
A second coat of fiberglass jelly mixed with hardner has been applied on the side of the rool compartment underneath the driver's seat floor (see pic). It will need a third coat too. Why? Because it is being applied upside down you can only layer the fiberglass for the weight of the material that will stay in place versus dripping down which it still does somewhat. I have started to clean-up the foot starter mechanism, as you can see how dirty it is in the pic.
Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums
On my '51 3100, the underseat floor was rusted away on one end. I needed to replace that, so hammered out a piece of steel to match the shape of the depression (see pic.) I think I would have welded in a piece of steel rather than use fiberglass to close up that hole, but fiberglass works too. Just really messy.
Kevin Newest Project - 51 Chevy 3100 work truck. Photos [flickr.com] #2 - '29 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. First car '29 Ford Special Coupe Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
Before & after pics resulting from cleaning up the foot starter mechanism using degreaser, brake fluid, wire wheel on a drill, belt & palm sanders. And plenty of elbow grease. It is ready to mount after cleaning up some fastners.
Thanks Kevin for looking in on how I'm solving the issue of an open end on the tool compartment underneath the driver's seat floor. I chose to use fiberglass cloth, fiberglass jelly with hardner, and it will be followed with spray on bed liner. Why? It's messy but it's less hazardous using a respirator & standard safety glasses than welding sheet metal which requires both special eye & special 🫁 personal protective equipment.
The 3rd application of fiberglass jelly mixed with hardner underneath the driver seat tool compartment passenger side edge to enclose it is complete (see pic). I will follow-up once dried for several days with light sanding to remove any hanging drips, apply some paint and some bed liner type material. It should be good to go and I will not lose any tools or what not as I drive down country roads.
Thanks for the compliment John. Yeah, I and others are thrilled your back in the game with that restoration of that capital truck. I seem to specialize in clean-up lately.
Yesterday, my daughter & I traveled to southwest VA some 185 miles, stayed overnight, & then met with a fellow Old Dominion Stovebolt Society (ODSS) member Cosmo to purchase an engine from him (see pic). We then made the return trip back to northeast MD, having hauled the approximately 800 lb '56 6 cylinder Chevrolet 235 cu inch engine flawlessly in the 8ft bed of my 2000 Chevrolet dually 1 ton crew cab pick-up. The engine is to be dropped into the '52 'Burb Carryall using the existing 3 speed transmission with the torque tube setup. I thank ODSS' el president Cosmo for agreeing to sell the motor to me, as we discussed some 11 years ago at Winchester ODSS meet-up & recently at Wrenchfest 2023. I also thank my daughter Lynn for taking the trip & lending a hand with the powerplant transfer between ODSS members.
Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums
That's a nice engine dolly that Cosmo has. Did that get thrown in with the deal?
Kevin Newest Project - 51 Chevy 3100 work truck. Photos [flickr.com] #2 - '29 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. First car '29 Ford Special Coupe Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
Yeah, the engine dolly was given to me from Cosmo. Carter's (Independence, MO) had 3 items ($35 with shipping) that I put on the emergency brake mechanism (rubber grommet at the dash lever, the rubber boot at the floor, & the black metal cover that hides the boot). I mounted my bellhousing with the already attached clutch fork. I cleaned up the teethed flywheel & installed it. I cleaned up the 11 inch clutch plate, spring assembly, & the cover.
On the 1956 235 6 cylinder car motor, which I believe am the 3rd owner IAW conversations Cosmo & I had a week or so ago, I have cleaned up the oil pan. I then applied primer & engine paint (see pics). I will use the 3 speed transmission that came with the 1952 Suburban Carryall.
The 3 speed transmission which originally came with the '52 Suburban Carryall when I bought the project back during 2012, had been cleaned up, painted red, and stored in my dry shed for the past eleven years. I have now attached it to the '56 Chevrolet car 235 6 cylinder engine. I shall put 80/90 W transmission oil in it soon (see pic).
The driver's & front sides of the 235 stovebolt 6 engine has been painted blue as in a '56 Chevrolet blue flame engine out of a car (see pics before & after). It happens to be the identical type engine, i.e., from a Chevrolet car & born in 1956 that is in my other antique pick-up. I want the engine looking nice before it's dropped into the '52 Chevrolet Suburban Carryall.
More: engine clean-up/painting, sheet metal coverings for toothed flywheel clean-up/painting, & water pump clean-up/painting (see pics before & after).
The 3 speed transmission which originally came with the '52 Suburban Carryall when I bought the project back during 2012, had been cleaned up, painted red, and stored in my dry shed for the past eleven years. I have now attached it to the '56 Chevrolet car 235 6 cylinder engine. I shall put 80/90 W transmission oil in it soon (see pic).
You need to use 90 weight straight mineral oil. The new tranny oils today are too slippery to allow the syncro’s to work properly so you’ll be grinding gears. And some contain additives that attack the brass syncro’s.
Tractor Supply has it so does NAPA. Here is a link for TS.
Today I started bringing back the bottom passenger seat. Particularly, I used a dremel tool with a wire brush & a inch wide belt sander to remove rust on the component containing the rectangle metal with 9 coil springs that attaches to the frame that moves forward to enable others to get to the 2nd & 3rd row seats of the '52 Chevrolet Suburban Carryall. It's interesting that over those springs was horses hair & cotton padding & then the vinyl seat material. Small C Clips held everything together underneath without putting holes in the brown seat material. This bottom seat is the worst one & will take the most effort to replace rusted through metal. See pic. And I thank Phil on commenting regarding replacement transmission oil & where to buy it!
More effort on the bottom passenger seat springs & rectangular subframe. I used straight metal, followed by coiling wire, then lots of masking tape around the really bad one side. I removed as much rust, debris, & soil from the suffrage & then primered it. I intend to follow up with jb weld & fiberglass. Pics show the old seat cushion material, which was horse hair, cotton, & the brown seat cover & the springs (12 not 9) primered in rustoleum gray primer.
The cowl vent was cleaned up today using the palm and belt sanders, the wire brush dremel tool, some acetone, and rustoleum automotive primer. It still needs some work by filling a small hole with jb weld, final sanding and then spraying it with the finish coat of windsor blue acrylic enamel paint (see pics).
The 1956 Chevrolet 235 6 cylinder engine's valve cover was cleaned up and painted using Duplicolor Chevrolet Blue Engine Enamel (see pics). 05I7668F56Z stamped behind the distributor hole tells me: 1) 7668 means this engine was the 6667th engine made that year because unit #'s start with 1001 at each plant; 2) the F means Flint, MI Assembly Plant; 3) the 56 means assembled in 1956; and 4) the Z means regular 235 found in the 150, 210, or Bel Air Cars (not the Corvette).
The fuel filler neck was cleaned up using brake cleaner to remove the hardened tar like undercoating on the outside of the pipe & then the dremel wire brush, belt sander and the palm sander. Then it was cleaned up inside the circular pipe using a long handled wire brush. After cleaning it with acetone it was primered with gray rustoleum (see pics).
I ended up removing the transmission, the 11 inch clutch cover with fingers, the clutch, the 139 teeth flywheel, and the bell housing. Next I cleaned up the original 139 teeth flywheel that came with the 1952 Chevrolet Suburban (see pics). I want to use this flywheel cause it takes the smaller 9.25 inch clutch. Also, something didn't seem right when I put everything together last time. I had to fasten the transmission using bolts as it wasn't flush in position. Anyhow I am starting over & will be using a brand new clutch kit after I buy one soon.
I used a pilot bearing removal tool with a grease gun hooked up to an air compressor to remove the pilot bearing. I never done this before & it came out fairly easy(see the 3 pics). Next I put a new pilot bearing in (last pic). I next put the bell housing on & a different 139 teeth flywheel that uses the 9&1/8 inch smaller clutch. Things are moving slowly along but at least they are moving now in the right direction.
I dragged the front bumper, front bumper brackets, & the partial front bumper splash apron up from the shed (see pics). I'll have to find a front splash apron. I will proceed to clean the bumper & brackets up while I wait for parts to finish mating the transmission to the engine.
